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This is Christmas

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall

Please note: Tickets will be on sale 90 days before the concert.

Acts

Mary McDonald, Composer/Conductor

McDonald: This Is Christmas

Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor

Highlights from Handel’s Messiah

Beth Everett, Guest Conductor

The Music of Mary McDonald

Also Featuring:

Emily Drennan, Soloist

Participating Groups

St. Mark's Lutheran Church's Chancel Choir

“The Light of the World Church” Choir

Daytona Beach Choral Society

Sunday 7pm Choir

Green Valley Presbyterian Church

First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro Chancel Choir

The Cocoa Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir

Alabama Civic Chorale

The Sanctuary Choir of First Baptist Church, Pine Bluff

Witness Music Utah

Our Savior Lutheran Church Choir

McCabe United Methodist Chancel Choir

Dandridge Community Choir

Algoa Music Ministry

Belin Memorial United Methodist Church

Sanctuary Choir, First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC

Juda Zion Community Church Choir

Smith River Singers

White Bluff Chapel Choir

The Sanctuary Choir of First Baptist Sylvester

Sanctuary Choir, Manchaca United Methodist Church

Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church Adult Choir

Trinity Lutheran Church Choir

First Methodist Church Morehead City Chancel Choir

Knoxville First Cumberland Presbyterian Church Choir

Asbury United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, Birmingham, Alabama

Morningside Baptist Church Choir (Greenville, SC)

Newton County High School Choir

Courthouse Community United Methodist Church Chancel Choir

Zanesville Civic Chorus

Bethel Baptist Praise Choir

The Worship Place Choir

New Covenant United Methodist Church Chancel Choir

Special Guests

Artist's Name

Mary McDonald

Artist's Name

Jonathan Griffith

Artist's Name

Beth Everett

Artist's Name

Emily Drennan

Press & Marketing

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Participating Group Directors

St. Mark's Lutheran Church's Chancel Choir
Krystal Di Espada

Under the direction of Krystal Di Espada, with Rosangel Perez as Organist and Pianist, the Chancel Choir includes Section Leaders Natalie Garcia, Amalia Rosales, Theron Hegarty, and Jacob Perry, along with choir members Jonathan Dedmon, Evelyn Gaiser, and Katharine Rego. This dedicated ensemble combines voices from our congregation and professional musicians to lead worship every Sunday at 10 a.m., following an 8:45 a.m. warm-up rehearsal. From Fall through Spring, the choir offers musical selections that uplift, inspire, and bring the message of the Gospel to life through song.

Krystal Di Espada is a Miami soprano and devoted choral director at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Coral Gables, where she has joyfully led the choir for several years. She has conducted high school, church, and children’s choirs with passion and care. With Romanza Lyric Opera, Krystal has performed lead roles in The Pirate’s Daughter, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, and Rigoletto. She was the soprano soloist in the world premiere of Dilem by Sydney Guillaume. Krystal holds a bachelor’s degree in music education, graduating cum laude, and teaches voice, piano, guitar, and recorder.

“The Light of the World Church” Choir
Abner Padilla
The Light of the World – USA Choir is part of the church’s Universal Choir, present across all continents and in over 50 countries. Singing in houses of prayer, public spaces, and at religious and civic events, this ensemble shares a message of faith, unity, and respect through music. Today’s performers represent thousands of voices who proudly live the principle: “Good Christians, better citizens.” Their mission is to inspire and uplift hearts, celebrating the values of harmony, community, and love through song.
Abner began singing in “The Light of the World” church choir in 1987 and started his journey as an assistant in 1994. His performances at Carnegie Hall in 1997 under Sir John Rutter and again in 2022 under Eric Whitacre were, as his mentor the late Kenneth Tuttle, said “Like singing a piece by Beethoven with Beethoven conducting”. Abner began directing after high school, serving in California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. His lifelong dedication to choral music is rooted in faith, passion, and a deep respect for the power of music to inspire and uplift communities.

Daytona Beach Choral Society
Tawn B. Thomas
The Daytona Beach Choral Society (DBCS) spreads the joy of singing across Volusia County. The choir holds two semesters annually, performing at least four concerts each year and participating in local events, including those at assisted living facilities and residential communities. DBCS offers a diverse musical repertoire, including Classical, Folk, Musical Theatre, Sacred, Pop, Gospel, and Cantatas, providing cultural concerts, group sing opportunities, vocal workshops, and private event entertainment. DBCS is committed to providing an enjoyable choral experience for vocalists of all skill levels, fostering community connections through music and the joy of singing!
Mr. Thomas has a Bachelor's in Music Education from Bethune-Cookman and a Master's in Choral Music Education from Florida State University, where he studied choral conducting. He has taught in Florida’s public school system for over 23 years and is currently an elementary music teacher. He is an active choral arranger, clinician, and adjudicator, has several publications, and has previously served as music director in several churches and as Director of Choral Activities at Bethune-Cookman. Mr. Thomas and his wife, Marsha, reside in Palm Coast, Florida, and are the proud parents of two children.

Sunday 7pm Choir
Edmar Selda

Sunday 7pm Choir is an acclaimed international Catholic choir of over 20 singers and musicians bringing sacred Christian choral music and Catholic hymns to audiences worldwide. Founded in 2013 and singing out of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Ajax, Ontario, Canada, the Sunday 7pm Choir has grown their digital music ministry to over 330,000 YouTube subscribers and 130 Million views. Their music, which ranges from chant and traditional hymns to contemporary praise—is available on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms. With over 300 live recordings released, their music inspires worship, reflection, and joy, making them a beloved resource of sacred music for churches and congregations around the world.

Edmar Selda is the Director of the Sunday 7pm Choir. Living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he sang throughout school, performed with the Anno Domini Chamber Singers and has sung in numerous Catholic celebrations throughout the Archdiocese. In 2013, he established the Sunday 7pm Choir, a not-for-profit sacred music ensemble that, in addition to sharing sacred music, is also honoured to support numerous local charities through its ministry. Edmar is grateful to God for the abundant blessings in his life, his supportive wife and children (Dawn, Noah, Charlotte), his extended family and dedicated Sunday 7pm Choir members without whom none of this would be possible (TS, RP, MS, KW, MW, KI, HS, RD, AT, KB, JMC, SB, LL, KM, JN, SN, JD, AD, AD, KG, MG, MS, CC, RS).

Green Valley Presbyterian Church
Joshua Herrington
Green Valley Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir is located in Henderson, Nevada. More than 20 of its members are represented in today’s Messiah performance. They are fortunate to live in a city that is known for its musical talent and entertainment venues. Established more than 40 years ago, its members perform frequently in GVPC’s monthly concert series which covers all genres of music, is open to the public and live-streamed at www.greenvalleypres.com, where you will also find concert recordings. They are under the direction of Joshua Herrington, Director of Music Ministries.
A native of Orlando, FL, Joshua Herrington is a classically trained pianist and conductor, having studied under Diane Richards and performed solo and collaborative piano throughout the United States and Europe. He moved to Las Vegas to become a church music director and over the past decade serves as rehearsal pianist for Nevada Ballet Theater, Associate Director Las Vegas Sinfonietta, directed for Vegas City Opera, and Director of Music Ministries for Green Valley Presbyterian Church, whose choir members are performing in DCINY’s Messiah. Joshua has a BA in Piano Performance from University of Central Florida and an MA in Orchestral Conducting.

First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro Chancel Choir
Larisa Leapley
The First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro Chancel Choir is made up of a wonderful group of volunteers who love to sing! There are 35 members in this choir family and they are the most dedicated people in the country, as most choir members are. They are a blessing!
Larisa Leapley has been the Director of Music at First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro, NC for 32 years. She holds a bachelors of arts degree from Mars Hill College, now a university, and was fortunate to perform in Carnegie Hall in the late 80's under the direction of John Rutter. Larisa's chancel choir at FBCNW are family and she is excited for them to have this amazing experience to sing in Carnegie Hall.

The Cocoa Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir
Sarina Wolfgang Zaremba
Choral music has been a cherished tradition at Cocoa Presbyterian Church (est. 1958) located on Florida's Space Coast. As a congregation of the PC(USA), the church experienced significant growth in its early days, thanks to its proximity to the beaches and the Kennedy Space Center. A beautiful sanctuary was built and dedicated in 1968. The choral program commenced early in the church's history and though our group is small, it still remains vibrant part of our services to date. We are both thrilled and proud to have our members perform once again at the illustrious Carnegie Hall!
Sarina Wolfgang Zaremba was born into a family with a Navy background, leading to a life of travel around the globe. She began her musical journey at the age of four and has consistently played the piano and performed vocally throughout her life. During her high school years in Japan, she earned top marks in “Far East Choir”, the military version of All State, and has had the privilege of performing for various Marine Corps and Navy Flag Officers, as well as international dignitaries. She also had the recent privilege of performing the National Anthem for country star Chris Janson. Sarina holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Winthrop University in South Carolina. She has served as the Director of Music at The Cocoa Presbyterian Church for the last six years and currently operates her own music studio, The Wolfgang Academy of Music.

Alabama Civic Chorale
Bebe Clark Kok
The Alabama Civic Chorale was founded by Earl and Frances Clark in 1947. Mr. Clark directed choirs at a local church and Mrs. Clark was the music teacher at a local high school. Often the youth would practice and sing together. One summer, the two groups worked together to perform a musical written by Mrs. Clark. The high school and youth choirs followed this up with a trip to Ridgecrest Music Conference where they attended classes and sang Handel's Messiah with all attending the conference. Upon return from the trip, Mr. and Mrs. Clark's groups began to practice together many nights each week. Adult choir members joined this group of young people and their first presentation of Messiah was during the Christmas season of 1947. The size of the chorus grew and after a few years, the performance moved to area churches and in 2004 to its present location at Riverchase United Methodist Church. Each year, we present Handel's Messiah to a standing room only audience. November 2025 will be our 78th Annual Performance with over 100 voices, soloists, members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and organist. Messiah has always been offered free of charge. The Chorale continues today as an organization dedicated to bringing cultural arts to the area and enriching the lives of those who sing and those that hear the group perform.
Bebe Clark Kok began directing the Alabama Civic Chorale in 1993 upon the death of her father and Chorale founder Earl Clark. She holds a bachelor's degree in Music Education with a concentration in Organ from the University of Alabama and a Master of Education in Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has taught elementary and secondary choral music and conducted adult, youth and children's choirs. She has been a church organist and choir director and served on the staff of national music conferences. Mrs. Kok has been involved in workshops with composers and conductors including Robert Shaw, John Rutter, Elaine Brown and others. She is a member of American Choral Directors Association and Chorus America. She has served as a College and Career Counselor and NCAA Coordinator in local schools. She served on the Counselor Advisory Board of the University of Alabama and Auburn University. In addition to her work in music, Mrs. Kok also works with students through her company College Planning Services in which she works with over 250 college representatives to help students grades 9-12 make the best choices possible for their future.

The Sanctuary Choir of First Baptist Church, Pine Bluff
Dr. Bryan Bolton
The Sanctuary Choir of First Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, is the heart of the church’s music ministry, leading weekly worship and presenting seasonal programs. These feature chamber ensembles accompanying the choir’s diverse sacred repertoire. With 27 voices, this non-auditioned group sings a wide variety of choral styles and genres, offering excellence in musical worship. Their leadership in worship reflects a commitment to glorifying God through music that is both heartfelt and skillfully prepared. This marks their second appearance with Distinguished Concerts International New York.
Dr. Bolton, originally from Denton, Texas, and raised in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, holds degrees in church music from Ouachita Baptist University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and earned his Doctor of Educational Ministry from Southern Seminary in 2019. His career has blended education and ministry, including college teaching and service in churches across Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas. He currently serves as Minister of Music and Children at First Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. A longtime choir and handbell director, he remains active with the Arkansas Master’Singers and Pine Bluff Community Band. He and his wife, Erin, have been married since 1996 and have two children, Kaitlyn (b. 2000) and Keith (b. 2006).

Memorial Lutheran Church Choir
Lois Theesfield
Memorial Lutheran Church Choir is an active choral group from Nevada, Iowa. Led by Director of Music Ministry, Lois Theesfield, the choir not only provides anthems and liturgical music for worship services, but also presents annual Christmas and Spring Concerts that reach out to the immediate community and beyond. Their main goal is spreading the Gospel of Christ through the power of music.
Lois Theesfield received her Bachelor of Science degree with emphasis in organ performance from Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska. She has taught school, developing K-12 music programs, in Glendale, New York and Bettendorf, Iowa. She has served many churches throughout her 50+ professional years as organist, vocal and handbell choir director. She is currently serving as Director of Music Ministry at Memorial Lutheran Church in Nevada, Iowa.

Witness Music Utah
Shane Mickelsen
The mission of Witness Music Utah is to present musical events that teach and testify of Jesus Christ as Savior of the World. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we seek to share a message appropriate for all who honor Christ, of all denominations, through beautiful and inspirational music and words. We perform Rob Gardner's Lamb of God around Easter, for more than 15,000 people every year and for the last 12 years have established it as a beloved Easter Tradition, much like Messiah is for Christmas.
Shane Mickelsen is a conductor and com,poser with a bachelor's degree in vocal performance and a master's degree in music composition. He has conducted a wide variety of choral and instrumental ensembles, including community and professional groups, and works as a music engraver for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Our Savior Lutheran Church Choir